I have achieved greatness this weekend: both kids have properly tidy rooms. All surfaces cleared, AND a big wardrobe clear-out. By which I mean, I have reviewed each and every item to see what's wearable and fits and suits their current tastes. Unsurprisingly, this has resulted in more than half of C's clothes being ditched,… Continue reading Hoarding as a genetic trait

I am now 45, a solidly middle-aged number, or as you might say, I am in my prime. I must admit to not feeling very prime. I feel a bit like I did at 29: okay with ageing in principle, but not really convinced that I am where I "should" be at this point in… Continue reading Prime number

We've just had a three-day weekend that felt more like four, at least. Friday was C's birthday AND the day she got her Gymi letter – she's in. So she coasted on the high of that news, right through her celebration (two friends over for a Gilmore-worthy movie night, with all the sweets in the… Continue reading Rory’s going to Yale!

So skiing sucked. That is, the holiday was lovely, the mountains were stunning and full of snow, the weather was beautiful, and the rest of the family had a brilliant time on skis. Me, I stood on skis feeling quite amazingly NO. I went up a tiny hill, I went down a tiny hill, I… Continue reading Stoopid body, stoopid head

The peak of the title being an actual mountain, where we are headed for the next week for a supposed ski break. However the weather is looking extremely uncertain; at this point we can't tell whether we'll be enjoying perfect powder (supposedly the conditions right now), or sunny slush, or constant rain. Who knows! It's… Continue reading Peak uncertainty

"Sie werden rechtzeitig informiert" must be one of the most infuriating sentences in the language, and somehow, so very Swiss. What if I'm not informed in good time? What if the letter isn't delivered? What counts as "in good time": at what point do I need to start chasing? What if the payment hasn't been… Continue reading Waiting for the miracle to come: 1.3.2021

ELEVEN: the high temperature over the weekend. Eleven glorious degrees! Sunshine you can actually feel! Which would be even more welcome if we didn't still have a ski holiday coming up. Our town always gets a very late slot in the Sportferien rotation, is unfortunate but there it is. Obviously it's a weird year for… Continue reading The week in numbers, 22.2.21

Brexit just got personal. Now I've always been aghast at the mere concept of Brexit, literally everything about it is and has always been terrible, but Brexit is now fucking with my cheese and THIS WILL NOT STAND. Except it will, obvs, because I can do exactly nothing about the situation and if I had… Continue reading WHO TOOK MY CHEESE: 5 things 15.2.21

The past week was not the greatest. I shall skip lightly over the not so mild meltdown and all the FEEEEEELINGS and get to the bit about having an almost entirely empty diary, the extreme satisfaction over this, the pleasure I'm taking in focusing on doing Nice Things for Me. We moved a couple of… Continue reading Simpler is better